Quiet Slang is the new project from James Alex (aka Beach Slang). Quiet Slang’s debut album Everything Matters But No One Is Listening is available now on Polyvinyl Record Co.
....

While it was mostly the opposite of the noisy heaven that fans have come to expect, no one at all left unsatisfied—

Philadelphia’s James Alex, leader of indie-punk rock band Beach Slang brought his newest musical project, Quiet Slang which re-interprets many of his previous songs in a baroque-pop version set alongside cello and piano arrangements, to a feverishly loyal crowd in his favorite city to play, at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis.

Opening the evening was a short set from fellow Philadelphian and guitarist/singer Abi Reimold, whose 2016 release, Wriggling (Sad Cactus Records) touches on themes of depression, anxiety, and gender roles in her own intimate and self-therapeutic songs.

Influenced by the minimalism of Radiohead and the vocal style and content of Lana Del Rey. Stereogum declared her an artist to watch when the album was released, and she seems fearless in letting the listener in on her emotions, and musically isn’t afraid to start deceivingly delicately, only to build to a combustible crescendo, so continues to be an artist to keep an eye on.

“I have a cummerbund on” James Alex said, emerging from backstage for Quiet Slang’s eighty-five minute headlining set, which was a tale of two halves. In addition to the wardrobe, the alt-rock Alex sported a smart dark jacket, bow tie, and ruffled shirt to complete things and the stage was decorated with a Magnetic Fields-like mélange of wrapped floral vines and cotton cloud-like shapes, behind him and along a counter console that tour manager/background vocalist Charlie Lowe helmed.

The first half of the performance was an eleven-song performance of songs re-interpreted as elegant baroque chamber-pop (beginning with the 2015 Beach Slang song, ‘Noisy Heaven’), with the encore lasting almost as long, but instead featuring Alex mostly solo, with guitar.

“We're gonna be a couple of drunk hippies, doing theater on this tour... thank you for letting us get away with it” Alex said before continuing with 2014’s self-deprecating ‘Filthy Luck’. Stopping to look at his appearance, Alex said “I look like Tony Bennett” admitting, “we’re maturing irresponsibly on this tour”.

Musically, the first half was laser-precise, because (for better or worse) the cello and piano portions were all on tape, with Alex singing over them, which made for great listening though slightly less visually for anyone hoping to see live musicians.

Alex’s admiration for the city, its artists, and the venue are already well known and the singer is not afraid to emote how grateful and happy he was to be playing here again. “I love Minneapolis!” he beamed and “it feels like a church” (about the venue) with “the only reason I write songs is because they were a band” about The Replacements, a major influence on his sound- “we’ll never not come here”.

Another musical influence, Big Star, was honored with his classical version of their song ‘Thirteen’ and he admitted his own ‘Throwaways’ was the “the low-fi, low rent version of Born to Run” though it comes off as more of a stands-on-its-own musical cousin, than just simple imitation. Of the black and white video of ballerinas practicing showing behind him, sort of a Degas pastel come to life, Alex endearingly said “My daughter's a dancer so I made a ballet film, so I can think of her every night”.

After a lush ‘Warpaint’ to end the main set, Alex re-emerged for the encore with guitar in hand, announcing “there's no way I was going to play the Entry and not play a Replacements song” before his emotional version of the ‘Mats ‘Unsatisfied’.

After playing 2016’s ‘Atom Bomb’ from a shouted-out request, Alex briefly riffed on a couple T-Rex songs, saying he’s been listening to them almost exclusively after a fan in her mid-60’s recommended it, and saying he looked like a young Marc Bolan.

The new ‘Trashcan Charm’ was played, a preview of the upcoming new Beach Slang album (due next year) with the crowd and Alex all getting a laugh out of the lyric, “my face ain’t much but it pays the bills” and also noting an early show reviewer referred to he and Lowe as “the Sonny and Cher of punk rock”.

“I've waited my whole life to play here- I mean that and you came out and made it better than I thought it could be… Minneapolis, we can't love you more than we do!” Alex said, summing up his gleeful feelings before getting Lowe back on stage for a closing Sonny and Cher duet, to end the show positively, and also perhaps to prove that critic’s point.

“We can be quiet and loud at the same time” Alex said mid-set and Quiet Slang’s performance did just that – much more quiet musically than his regular band (but to mostly great effect), and amp-ing things up a bit with the extended encore and the numerous die-hard fans in attendance, all singing along and answering each song with loud applause.

Quiet Slang is the new project from James Alex (aka Beach Slang). Quiet Slang’s debut album Everything Matters But No One Is Listening is available now on Polyvinyl Record Co.
....

While it was mostly the opposite of the noisy heaven that fans have come to expect, no one at all left unsatisfied—

Philadelphia’s James Alex, leader of indie-punk rock band Beach Slang brought his newest musical project, Quiet Slang which re-interprets many of his previous songs in a baroque-pop version set alongside cello and piano arrangements, to a feverishly loyal crowd in his favorite city to play, at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis.

Opening the evening was a short set from fellow Philadelphian and guitarist/singer Abi Reimold, whose 2016 release, Wriggling (Sad Cactus Records) touches on themes of depression, anxiety, and gender roles in her own intimate and self-therapeutic songs.

Influenced by the minimalism of Radiohead and the vocal style and content of Lana Del Rey. Stereogum declared her an artist to watch when the album was released, and she seems fearless in letting the listener in on her emotions, and musically isn’t afraid to start deceivingly delicately, only to build to a combustible crescendo, so continues to be an artist to keep an eye on.

“I have a cummerbund on” James Alex said, emerging from backstage for Quiet Slang’s eighty-five minute headlining set, which was a tale of two halves. In addition to the wardrobe, the alt-rock Alex sported a smart dark jacket, bow tie, and ruffled shirt to complete things and the stage was decorated with a Magnetic Fields-like mélange of wrapped floral vines and cotton cloud-like shapes, behind him and along a counter console that tour manager/background vocalist Charlie Lowe helmed.

The first half of the performance was an eleven-song performance of songs re-interpreted as elegant baroque chamber-pop (beginning with the 2015 Beach Slang song, ‘Noisy Heaven’), with the encore lasting almost as long, but instead featuring Alex mostly solo, with guitar.

“We're gonna be a couple of drunk hippies, doing theater on this tour... thank you for letting us get away with it” Alex said before continuing with 2014’s self-deprecating ‘Filthy Luck’. Stopping to look at his appearance, Alex said “I look like Tony Bennett” admitting, “we’re maturing irresponsibly on this tour”.

Musically, the first half was laser-precise, because (for better or worse) the cello and piano portions were all on tape, with Alex singing over them, which made for great listening though slightly less visually for anyone hoping to see live musicians.

Alex’s admiration for the city, its artists, and the venue are already well known and the singer is not afraid to emote how grateful and happy he was to be playing here again. “I love Minneapolis!” he beamed and “it feels like a church” (about the venue) with “the only reason I write songs is because they were a band” about The Replacements, a major influence on his sound- “we’ll never not come here”.

Another musical influence, Big Star, was honored with his classical version of their song ‘Thirteen’ and he admitted his own ‘Throwaways’ was the “the low-fi, low rent version of Born to Run” though it comes off as more of a stands-on-its-own musical cousin, than just simple imitation. Of the black and white video of ballerinas practicing showing behind him, sort of a Degas pastel come to life, Alex endearingly said “My daughter's a dancer so I made a ballet film, so I can think of her every night”.

After a lush ‘Warpaint’ to end the main set, Alex re-emerged for the encore with guitar in hand, announcing “there's no way I was going to play the Entry and not play a Replacements song” before his emotional version of the ‘Mats ‘Unsatisfied’.

After playing 2016’s ‘Atom Bomb’ from a shouted-out request, Alex briefly riffed on a couple T-Rex songs, saying he’s been listening to them almost exclusively after a fan in her mid-60’s recommended it, and saying he looked like a young Marc Bolan.

The new ‘Trashcan Charm’ was played, a preview of the upcoming new Beach Slang album (due next year) with the crowd and Alex all getting a laugh out of the lyric, “my face ain’t much but it pays the bills” and also noting an early show reviewer referred to he and Lowe as “the Sonny and Cher of punk rock”.

“I've waited my whole life to play here- I mean that and you came out and made it better than I thought it could be… Minneapolis, we can't love you more than we do!” Alex said, summing up his gleeful feelings before getting Lowe back on stage for a closing Sonny and Cher duet, to end the show positively, and also perhaps to prove that critic’s point.

“We can be quiet and loud at the same time” Alex said mid-set and Quiet Slang’s performance did just that – much more quiet musically than his regular band (but to mostly great effect), and amp-ing things up a bit with the extended encore and the numerous die-hard fans in attendance, all singing along and answering each song with loud applause.